By FATIMA KHAN
In February this year, Junaid had asked his relative, Nasir, if he wished to accompany him to another village, to meet marriage suitors for his two nieces. Nasir agreed, and the two borrowed a bolero car from someone they knew, and began their journey. They hadn’t reached too far from their village Ghatmeeka in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur, when their car was intercepted and the two were kidnapped and assaulted, allegedly by members of the Bajrang Dal. Their car was then set on fire, with them inside it. Now, nine months later, Junaid’s two nieces are getting married in November. The preparation for the wedding has been bitter-sweet, constantly serving as a reminder of Junaid and Nasir’s murder. In remembrance, and as a mark of respect, the wedding invitation card mentions Junaid and Nasir’s name.
While both families have tried to move on with their lives since the horrific incident, Junaid and Nasir’s murder hasn’t just left an indelible imprint on their lives, but also those of everyone around them.
The villagers say they continue to fear for their lives, worried that they could meet the same fate as Junaid and Nasir if they tread too far from familiarity. As precaution, they avoid taking long journeys away from their village, and certainly not any that will take them to “the BJP-ruled state of Haryana”, they say. But with Rajasthan elections round the corner, the chances of BJP coming to power are seen as high given the revolving door trend that the state has traditionally followed. The Quint visited Junaid and Nasir’s village Ghatmeeka ahead of the elections.
This story was originally published in thequint.com. Read the full story here .